Trusting the Process - Carol Krum

Trusting the Process - Carol Krum

7/26/2018

Carol Krum

From a Physical Reality...

When asked the question, "Would you like a glass of wine?", the response is usually, "What kind do you have"? There are those who dabble in wine and those who are connoisseurs, the ones who have spent years developing a palate to distinguish one fine wine from another. But wait! What about the winemaker? He is the one who, through years of experience, is able to blend certain grapes with other ingredients to create a wine that will one day be the most expensive and unique tasting wine one could hope to find.

This winemaker, called a wine futurist, has developed his senses to such heights, that simply using his eyes to see the embodiment of the mixture, his nose to smell its aroma and his mouth to taste the flavor, is able to judge the quality of wine it will become in the future, after years of the fermenting process. Yet if the average person was to taste the wine in its early creation, it would be worth nothing and most likely be thrown out! If the wine is bottled before the fermentation process is complete, it will ruin the entire process and completely destroy the futurist's predetermined quality of wine it was destined to become.

...To a Spiritual Truth

With all that is being prophesied about the new wine that is prepared and the new wineskin being made ready to contain it, perhaps it's good to take a look at the spiritual process that is necessary to prepare this new wineskin. We read in Matt. 9:17 "And who would pour fresh, new wine into an old wineskin? Eventually the wine will ferment and make the wineskin burst, losing everything--the wine is spilled and the wineskin ruined. Instead, a new wine is always poured into a new wineskin so that both are preserved." TPT

When Jesus spoke about the old wine, He was referring to the old religious system. And when He spoke of the old wineskin, He was referring to the worn-out traditions of their day. Most of us reading this journal are aware of the old thinking that had to be debunked in our own minds in order to realign with the Truth of God's Word in its original intent. The revelation that came to us as we allowed the Holy Spirit to cleanse us from teachings that were not in agreement with His Truth was life-changing. Yet it still took time to retrain our thinking to come into alignment with His!

In the natural, fermentation is a conversion process that gets in between fresh and rotten. Converting the sugar to acids, keeps the original fruit fresh. There is life happening in the vessel! In the spiritual, His Word begins to "ferment" within us, converting all that is rotten to its original freshness, restoring life and truth back to what was ours from the beginning. No wonder our spirit dances when we receive Christ! It recognizes the very sound of His Name! When Jesus refers to the new wineskin, He is referring to the new heart that He gives us to contain the new wine that He has prepared for us! Yet we continue to hear about this "new wine" and "new wineskin". So what does that mean for us today?

The New Wine of Today

This past weekend, we were blessed to have Dutch Sheets come to our Spokane Headquarters for a conference. During his time here, he announced that we are NOW in a new era! He spoke about the new wine that has come and a bit of what it looks like. One thing is certain, it does not look like anything the earth has ever seen before, so don't expect it to. God has come with such power upon the earth that no man seems able to steward it as in days past. The power of God is palpable in many places; students in universities are in constant prayer overwhelmed by the goodness and kindness of God. Demons are fleeing and restoration is immediate. Missing limbs are growing, the dead are being raised, tumors are vanishing, mental illness is gone and no counseling is needed to clean up the mess of the past because restoration is complete. The older generation is becoming spiritual fathers and mothers to the younger generation that the Lord is raising up who are and will be moving in this new power of God. Yes, this is already happening throughout the world! Acceleration has begun! This is the new wine that has been prepared for us by the ultimate futurist, the Lord God Himself!

What wineskins can carry such wine? Only the ones that have been prepared! In the natural process, the leather must be heated, rubbed out and cooled over and over until it is flexible enough to expand in the fermenting process. Likewise, in the spiritual, we need to go through a process as well.

If we want to be able to carry such wine, we must be willing to allow the Spirit of God to reveal anything within us that is a residual from the old, including the way we speak. Our words must align with the present tense, no longer what "will be" but rather, "what is"! God is looking for pure hearts in His people. If our hearts have become hardened in any way, they need to be made flexible. It is urgent to say yes to the fire of God to do its work within us, and trust the revelation He gives, so that we may be realigned immediately. Then we will be prepared to be the spiritual carriers of this power. This is the time to allow Holy Spirit to do what only He can do for a divine purpose that we can't even fathom. And again, acceleration is the active word in this new era! What took years in the past will now take moments, so be encouraged, beloved of God! Proverbs 20:27 says, "The spirit God breathed into man is like a living lamp, a shining light searching into the innermost chamber of our being." TPT

Pray with me:

Father, we give You permission to cast Your light of truth into any darkened crevices within us where deceptions lie, exposing anything that is hidden...even from our own awareness! Do in us what You need to do in order that You may do through us what You desire to do in this new season. Cleanse and purify our hearts, making them so flexible and tender toward Your Spirit, that we may carry this precious new wine in humility with love. Cause us to walk in perfect unity and harmony with You and with one another that You may receive all Glory and honor. In Jesus' mighty name we pray, Amen.

Carol Krum is the Partner Coordinator at the Spokane Headquarters and our resident encourager in joy.